Ventilated berry crate



Feb. 9, 1937. H. c. ATKlN 2,059,747

VENTILATED BERRY CRATE Filed April 17, 1955 2 SheellS-Sheell l FJ; E.

JNVENTOR. HAR/Py C. A T/f//VS E BY 20 5 q /8 v Q 5 ATTORNEY.

Feb. 9, 1937. H, TKINS 2,069,747

VENTILATED BERRY CRATE Filed April 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.AfA/PAW C. A TAV/V5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Fel). 9, 1937" UNITED STATES ATENT omer "VEN'IILATED BERRYCRATE Harry C. Atliins, Denver, Colo. Y Application April 17,1935,'Serial No. 16,791

claims. (01.217940) such construction that the berries, or other fruit,A

will always be properly ventilated.

Another object of this invention is to produce a crate that shall havemeans for cooperating with the boxes located therein to hold the sameproperly positioned at all times so as to prevent the contents of theboxes from being crushed or injured due to shifting ofthe boxes duringhandling.

A still further object of this invention is to produce a crate having aremovable cover provided on its under surface with transversepositioning cleats that cooperate with the ends of the crateand withdivider cleats so positioned that they projectfdown into the spacebetween adjacent boxes and prevent them from shifting and crushing eachother and also holds them from ,movement toward the cover.

2 Another object of this invention is to produce a crate of suchconstruction that two or more of them can be assembled in superposedrelation withoutinterfering with the proper ventilation of the contents.

A further object of the invention is to produce a crate of suchconstruction that two or more crates can be superposed and readilyinterconnected so that they may be handled as a unit.

The abo-ve and other objects that may become v apparent as thisdescription proceeds are attained byvmeans of a construction andarrangement of parts that will now be described in detail and for thispurpose reference will be had j to the accompanying drawings in whichthe invention has been illustrated and in which- Figure 1 is a top planview showing an empty crate with the cover in place thereon;

Figure 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly a section taken online 2 2, Figure 1, and shows how two superposed crates areinterconnected,

the top crate being broken away;A

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3 3, Figure 1;`

Figure 4 is a view looking upwardly toward the I v bottom of a crate atan angle;

.A Figure 5 is a fragmentary section, similar to that shown in Figure 2and shows how the crates are interconnected;

, Figure 6 is a perspective View of two interconl 55 i, nected crates;

the outside of each end 5, near .the Yupperedge bottom strip on eachside. VThe Awidth of the crate 'place'. The collars have upwardly andinwardly Figure y'I is a side elevationof a crate of slightly Y mod-inedconstruction; and

vFigure 8 is an en'd View of the crate shown in Figure?.

In the drawings, and referring more particularly to Figuresfl to 6,reference numeral 5' designates `the ends of the crate and numeral 6desig` -nates the sides thereof. @The bottom is formed by Y a number ofspacedl longitudinally extending strips '1.V A strengthening strip 8extends alo'ng lo of the latter.

It will'be seen .that v.the Vwidth of the sides 6 is less than the widthof the ends 5, s'o that a considerable space is leftbetween the side andthe is usually 'such that itwill accommodate three rows of boxes 9 likethose shown in Figure ,3. The boxes are'provide'd with VupwardlyV andoutwardly inclined side walls, asindicated by reference numeral lll. Thesides of the boxes are per- :2o .forated and provided `with Ventilatinglopenings I'I and each box has .a removable collar I2 that holds atransparent and moistureproof cover in inclinedV flanges .|3. -The coverof the crate consists of several longitudinally extending spaced stripslidiwhose lengths are equal to the total length of thetcratejincludingthe thickness of the two strips 8. Secured 30 to the top off strips .I4near each end is a tra11s. i verse strip I5.1 Onlthe under side ofthevover two triangular cleats I6 are located. lThesevcleats have acrosssection that is a right-angledttriangle. ,Gleats I6 are sonpositionedthat the hy- Ipcathenu'se side of each is on the inside and onel35Hof/'the other/sides is on the .outside and serves to yengage.theinsideof the adjacent end to form a stop. V,The'fapexes'of these cleatsprojectV downvwardlylvnetvi'reen the ends and the endbox of each 40 row.The coverisalsoprovided with a pluralityrf: `of transverse positioningcleats I1 whose cross sections are preferably isosceles triangles varidare securedwith their basesagainst the under sideof the cover.- 45Cleats i1 are spaced aldistance equal-to the/1 width'` of the boxes'andproject into the spaces between the angeslS. Cleats Ylli serve to" posi-:tion the cover 'with respectV to the crate Vand cleats I1serventoposition'l the boxes and to holdthem 50 fromslidingwhen theloaded crate is beinghanf dled and assure thatno crushing force willbeapplied to the boxes.

ylirorn 3, A-it will bevseen that each row `/otboxes is suppeedonasingle bottom strp 1 55 line with the corresponding triangularopenings between the rows ofboxes and therefore air has as free accessto the sides of the boxes as if the boxes were not in a crate and hencethe contents of the boxes keep fresh. Y

Each crate is preferably of such size that it will hold three rows ofboxes, each rowhaving four boxes, and there will thereforebe twelveboxes in each crate.

For convenience in handling and shipping it is customary to connect twocrates, one above the other, in the manner shown in Figure 5. In orderto properly space the bottom of the crate from a flat surface on whichit is standing and from the top of the lower crate when two areassembled as shown in Figure 5, the crate is provided at each end of itsbottom with transverse strips I8 that serve as spacers.

I9 of the same size as strips I8 and so spaced that th'edistance betweentheir far sides is the same as the distance between the near sides ofstrips by side as shown most clearly Yin Figure 5,.

' Y AIn'V order to. assure as free circulation of air as possible, theends are provided with notches 22 that are in line with the spacesbetween the rows of boxes and there are therefore Vunobstructed airpassages' extending entirely through the crates.

Y Attention is called to the fact that the ends of vone of thepositioning cleats project beyond the sides 6 as indicated by referencenumeral'23 and L'these ends prevent the cover from bending sufficientlyto apply a crushing force to the berries.

The crate shown in vFigures 7 and 8 diiiers Vfrom the other in this,that its width is sufficient to accommodate two rows of boxes, and itslength issufiicient to accommodate four boxes, while the height is suchthat three boxes can beplaced one above the other.' Each layer of boxesis separatedfrom the one above by means of separators 24 whose ends reston the triangular cleats 25 that are secured to the ends of the box.Since the separators rest Yon the cleats 25 and have one V transversecleat provided with projections 1.23

'f thatl rest on the upper edge of the side strips 6, lthere will benoweight supportednbyY the berry boxes `or .the berries, and the boxes cantherefore Y be heaped without danger of crushing any of the berries.,The cover employed with'the crate shown in Figures 7 and 8 is made justthe same as that f shown in Vthe other views with this exception, thatit has three longitudinal strips I4 instead of four.

Attentionis now directed to4 Figure V"2 from which it will be seen thatthe cleats I8 project bethe stripsr on one will lengage strips 8 on the!end to end,as in loading a car, the cleats I8 on one'will engage cleatsI8 on the other, and that other, and the adjacent ends will therefore belseparated ja distance equal to two thicknesses of ,l strips 8. Byspacing the ends of theboxes when the crates are loaded in cars or ontrucks, air

can circulate between the adjacent end surfaces and enter the notches22, thereby facilitating circulation. It will also be observed that inthe absence of the notches 22, the spacing of the ends would make noappreciable difference, and that the spacing means 8 and I8 cooperatewith the Ventilating notches 22 to produce the Vdesired air circulation.

The end 5a of the crate illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, due to thegreater depth of the crate, are not made solid as in the otherembodiment but is preferably a rectangular frame like that shown inFigure 8.

'Ihe cleats I8 andl9 Yserve to interconnect two crates in the Amannerabove explained and shown in Figure 5.

It will be apparent that'the crate illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 willhold twice as many berry boxes as the one shown in Figures l t0 6, andis sometimes preferred by the producers.`

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A shipping andstorage package `for'berriesY and the like,comprisingin combination, a cratek adapted to hold a plurality of rowsrof berry boxes, and a cover provided on its under surface with a)pluralityA of Ytransversely extending triangular cleats so spaced andVof suchthickness that the apexes of the cleats project linto the spacesbetween adjacent boxes in each row and serve to position the boxes andhold them against movement relative to thecrate.

2.V A shipping and storage package for berries and the like, comprisingin combination, a crate adapted to hold a pluralityof rows of berryboxes,

, and a cover provided on its under surface'with a plurality oftransversely extending triangular cleats so spaced and of such thicknessthat the apexes ofthe cleats project into the spaces between adjacentboxes in each row andfservel to position the boxes' and hold themagainst movement relative` to the crate, "the cover being also providedwith transversecleats so positioned 1 that they engage .the insidesurfaces of the ends of the crate to position ther coverwith-respecttothe *crate andfto hold it against movement relative to thecrate. k

3. A shipping and storage package for berries and the like comprising incombination, a crate adapted to hold a plurality of rows of berryboxes,`provided aboutV their upper edges with upwardly and inwardlyinclined iianges, and a cover provided on its under surface withtriangular transverse cleats so positioned that their apexes projectintothe spaces between the adja"' cent flanges and provide positioningmeans for the boxes.

4. A shipping and storage packing for berries and the like, comprisingin combination, a crate adapted Vto hold aplurality of Vrows ofberryboxes provided about their upper edges with upwardly and inwardlyVinclined flanges, thev crate having end walls, and a cover provided onits under surface with two transverselyV ex-Y tending positioning cleatsof a -right angle tri-' angle cross section and positioned with theirinclined sides facing inwardly, these cleats being so positioned thatthey engage theinside of spaces between the inclined flanges of thecollars and serve to hold the boxes in a predetermined position.

5. A crate for use with ventilated berry boxes comprising incombination, two parallel ends of a width somewhat greater than thedepth of the berry boxes, the ends being connected by side strips thatare narrower than the ends and located with their upper edges below thetops of the ends, the lower edges of the ends being connected by meansof narrow spaced apart bottom strips and a removable cover for thecrate, said cover comprising a plurality of spaced longitudinal strips,transverse end strips connecting the ends of the longitudinal strips,and a plurality of triangular cleats extending across the under surfaceof the cover strips and of su'icient thickness to project below the topsof any berry boxes located in the crate, the cleats located nearest theends of the cover serving as stops to limit endwise movement of thecover on the crate.

6. A shipping crate for berries and the like comprising a box portionhaving end walls, sides, a bottom and a removable cover, means forinterconnecting superposed crates comprising a pair of transverse cleatssecured to the under surface of the bottoms, one cleat near each end anda pair of similar cleats secured to the top of the cover, one cleat neareach end," the distance between the near sides of one pair being thesame as the distance between the far sides of the other pair, wherebywhen two crates of the same size are superposed the cleats attached tothe bottom of the upper crate will be posiiiioned adjacent thecorresponding cleats attached to the cover of the lower crate, thecleats having openings for the reception of pins.

7. A shipping crate for berries and the like comprising a box portionhaving end walls, sides, a bottom and a removable cover, the lowersurface of the cover having means for positioning it relative to the boxportion, said means comprising two transversely extending cleats, onenear each end, the distance between the far sides of the cleats beingsubstantially equal to the distance between the near sides of the endswhereby the cover will be longitudinally positioned, the length of thecleats being substantially the same as the distance between the sideswhereby the cover will be positioned transversely, and means forinterconnecting superposed crates, comprising a pair of transversecleats secured to the bottom and a pair of transverse cleats secured tothe cover, the distance between the near sides of one pair being thesame as the distance between the far sides of the other pair wherebywhen twoV crates of the same size are superposed the cleats attached tothe bottom of the upper crate will be positioned adjacent lthecorresponding cleats attached to the cover of the lower crate, thecleats having openings for the reception of pins.

8. A shipping and storage package for berries and the like comprising, acrate having ends and sides and adapted to hold a plurality of rows ofberry boxes, supported on the bottom of the crate and adapted tohold aplurality of layers of berry boxes, located one layer over the other,separators between adjacent layers of boxes, and means comprising cleatsattached to the inside surfaces of the ends of the crate for supportingthe separators, and a cover supported on the top of the crate, the undersides of the separators and the cover having transversely extendingcleats that project into the spaces between adjacent boxes in each rowto hold them against longitudinal movement.

9. A shipping and storage package for berries and the like comprising acrate having ends and sides and adapted to hold a plurality of rows ofberry boxes, supported on the bottom of the crate, and a plurality oflayers of boxes located one layer over the other, ends of the separatorsbetween adjacent layers of boxes, and means comprising cleats attachedto the inside surfaces of the ends for supporting the ends of theseparators, and transverse cleats secured to the centers of theseparators, of greater length than the width of the crates, forsupporting the separators from the sides of the crates.

10. A shipping and storage package for berries and the like comprisingin combination, a crate adapted to hold a plurality of rows of berryboxes, and a cover provided on its under surface with triangulartransverse cleats so positioned that their apexes project into thespaces between the adjacent boxes and provide positioning means for theboxes.

HARRY C. ATKINS.

